Tural Ganjaliyev: "Azerbaijani and Armenian communities will jointly use water resources of Nagorno Karabakh"

Baku. 1 February. REPORT.AZ/ "Earlier we also witnessed the defamatory statements targeting our country voiced by David Babayan, the so-called 'presidential spokesman' of the illegal regime created in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan. This time he again 'stood out' for his absurd thoughts on the topic of 'hydro-terror'. It is ridiculous that forgetting the ecological crimes, perpetrated by the illegal separatist regime created in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan, Babayan conceals the ongoing situation for which the regime he belongs to is responsible, and is looking for 'culprits' on the side," head of the Azerbaijani community of Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan Tural Ganjaliyev said.

He noted that for this reason he wants to refresh Babayan's memory and bring to his attention the following: "The resolution 'Inhabitants of frontier regions of Azerbaijan are deliberately deprived of water' was adopted within the framework of PACE in November 2015.  PACE deplores the fact that the occupation by Armenia of Nagorno-Karabakh and other adjacent areas of Azerbaijan creates similar humanitarian and environmental problems for the citizens of Azerbaijan living in the Lower Karabakh valley.

"The resolution notes that the lack of regular maintenance work for over twenty years on the Sarsang reservoir, located in one of the areas of Azerbaijan occupied by Armenia, poses a danger to the whole border region. The Assembly emphasises that the state of disrepair of the Sarsang dam could result in a major disaster with great loss of human life and possibly a fresh humanitarian crisis.

"The resolution also demands an immediate withdrawal of Armenian armed forces from the Sarsang region, and requests the Armenian authorities to cease using water resources as tools of political influence or an instrument of pressure benefiting only one of the parties to the conflict.

"Now the life of the 400,000-strong population of 7 regions of Azerbaijan is endangered because the Sarsang water reservoir locates in the occupied lands and it has not been overhauled over the past period. The Sarsang water reservoir was designed for irrigation of 120,000 hectares of lands, while the occupation hampered this. I would also like to note that the Armenian side continues causing a serious damage to our lands by blocking access in summer months when there is a need for water and opening water when it is not necessary. This testifies to hydroterror against Azerbaijan.

"After Armenia's military aggression against Azerbaijan is ended, the country's rich water resources may serve the development of agriculture and other economic spheres by being used jointly by the Armenian and Azerbaijani communities within the Azerbaijani borders," Ganjaliyev said.